Friday, November 28, 2008

Now the Ginger Looks Better!



This ginger was outside all summer. It pretty much just sat there. Now that it is in the house it is doing much better. I checked one of my books to see why. Being from Asia ginger likes very hot, humid weather and plenty of rain. It grows to six feet, spreads like crazy and has white flowers. It's supposed to keep the tigers away. This plant does get watered but I'm afraid the rest of its requirements are out of reach. The thermostat is set in the sixties, and it won't be going higher. No worries about tigers here anyway.

I use fresh ginger regularly in the kitchen. Sometimes when a root has been around for awhile it begins to sprout. I always feel compelled to plant it. My pot of ginger is the result. The ginger caught my attention today because it is doing better, but also because it had (Wait for it!) weeds. Can you believe it's only the end of November and I miss weeding? So here is the ginger all of 18" tall, weeded for its picture.





In case you are missing weeds too, here is the before picture. Hmm... woody nightshade, bedstraw, grass, garlic mustard, (Or is that ground ivy?) and some tiny ones I can't identify. What a pleasure it was to pull them out and drop them in the compost pail. I'll just do the one plant today. I'll be wanting to pull weeds again soon.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Remember Rosemary



Rosemary is the herb of memory. This rosemary blooming today is a lovely reminder to stop and be thankful. In the garden as in life, things are never perfect, but if you look, there is always something beautiful, something miraculous every single day.

Here the rosemary lives in a clay pot. It spends the growing season outside on the stone patio and the winter inside as a house plant. Right now my hands have that wonderful aroma from having touched the leaves. Rosemary releases its scent whenever it is touched and as a thank you for being watered. Everyone should have a rosemary plant. It has lovely dark green leaves, beautiful flowers, a fabulous aroma, and is delicious besides. What more could one ask of a plant?

Oh! I just remembered one more thing. Happy Thanksgiving!